Italy ryori

France ryori

ori oku ry Kank

5-minute Japanese Class by Hitomi Hirayama

Design : Masako Ban

While discussing a new project at a meeting, Mr. Tanaka said, "sozai ga mondai desu ne." (lit.: I guess the problem is the ingredient.), and Mrs. Ida said, "do ryori suru ka...ryori o suru noni jikan ga kakarimasu ne." (lit.: I wonder how we can cook it. I think it takes time to cook.) Then, Mr. Takana said, "so desu ne. jikan o kakete nitsumemasho. nitsumattara mata uchiawase o shimasu." (lit.: I think you're right. We need more time to boil it down. When it is boiled down, we are going to have a meeting again.) So, I asked them, "kyo no uchiawase wa nani ryori desu ka?" (What are you going to cook for today's meeting?), but they were shocked and became speechless. Why is that?

Are you good at cooking Japanese food? As for me, I like eating it, instead of cooking it! What you heard at the meeting was not about cooking. They were using phrases associated with cooking, but those expressions are actually used for business. Since it is very interesting, let me tell you some of them.
Insert the proper expression in the box by choosing from those at left. (a) We do not have enough materials to come to a conclusion, do we? ketsuron o dasu niwa busokudewa?

Various cooking

Expressions for cooking and for business

1) Cooking: ingredient Business: materials, source 2) Cooking: to cook Business: to manage / to handle

sakana ryori

Seafood dish

Nihon ryori shojin ryori

Japanese food

Vegetarian food

zairyo

sozai

ryori o suru

(b) We spent one week on the preparation of the new project. atarashii project no yatto naiyo ga noni isshukan kaketa kimashita ne

Kanji of cooking

te ryori

4) Cooking: to be boiled down 3) Cooking: to boil Business: to be brought to Business: to examine it thoroughly a conclusion and bring it to a conclusion

(c) Finally, the matter is being brought to a conclusion.

Homemade cuisine

nitsumeru 5) Cooking: vegetables pickled overnight Business: a makeshift / work prepared quickly in overnight

nitsumaru

(d) It seems good even though it was prepared quickly. de tsukutta wari niwa yoku dekiteimasu ne (e) The total uncollectible debts are more than 100 million. kingaku wa okutani desu (f) I think it is necessary to reexamine the plan thoroughly and bring it to a conclusion. kekaku o mo ichido kono nandai o dono yoni toriaezu hitsuyo ga arimasu ne ka mimono desu ne

Meat dish

Home cooking
kate ryori

ichiyazuke 6) Cooking: to be burned and stuck Business: uncollectible debts

A la carte dish

ippin ryori

nabe ryori

niku

ryori

ryori

yasai ryori

kogetsuku

(g) It would be worthwhile to see how this difficult task can be managed.

Local specialties

kyodo ryori

7) Cooking: to make a preparation Business: preparation before actual performance

(h) I put it together overnight, so I will make a new one, again. de tsukutta node mo ichido tsukurinaoshimasu

shitajumbi o suru 8) Cooking: to let it sit 9) Cooking: quickly prepared dish Business: to set it aside Business: to prepare it in short time for a while and see how it goes without effort / temporary solution

Hot pot cooked at the table

Vegetable dish

(i) This merchandise is too old to be sold because it was left in the warehouse for three years. san nen mo shohin o soko ni
Answers

node furukute mo uremasen

nekaseru

(a)-(1) (f)-(3)

(b)-(7) (g)-(2)

(c)-(4) nitsumatte (d)-(9) (e)-(6) kogetsuita (h)-(5) (i)- (8) nekasete oita
With cooperation from Yasuhiro Koga

sokuseki

Copyright 2007 The Yomiuri Shimbun